Foundary Business Manager

Normal Computing Corp.; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Normal Computing, an applied AI company building hardware and software for the semiconductor industry, seeks a Principal / Manager for Foundry Partnership & ASIC Program Management to lead strategic foundry engagements and end-to-end execution for upcoming advanced-node ASIC projects.

As the first liaison between the engineering team and foundry partners (Samsung Foundry), you will own the commercial, technical, and operational lifecycle—from contract execution and PDK/IP alignment to milestone

Qualifications

• 8+ years in the semiconductor industry with 3–4+ years in foundry/ASIC leadership.
• Hands-on tapeout experience in sub-8nm nodes and Samsung Foundry workflows.
• Strong understanding of PDKs, design rules, and EDA sign-off flows.

Responsibilities

• Lead Foundry Partnership & Tape-out Management: strategy, contracts, and risk management.
• Own ASIC TPM lifecycle: RTL freeze to GDSII, coordinating internal and external teams.
• Quality, reliability, and bring-up: oversee QA, WAT, and packaging coordination.

Skills

Semiconductor industry experience

Foundry relationship management

ASIC program management

English

Korean

PDK, DRC/LVS understanding

Job description

Normal Computing | Build with Us

Normal is an applied AI company solving the hardest problems in AI and silicon. We build foundational hardware and software for the semiconductor industry, critical AI infrastructure, and the broader systems that power our world, in partnership with the world's most advanced institutions. We work as one team across New York City, Silicon Valley (Mountain View), London, Copenhagen, and Seoul.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Principal / Manager for Foundry Partnership & ASIC Program Management to lead our strategic foundry engagements and end-to-end execution for our upcoming advanced-node ASIC projects. As the first dedicated liaison between our engineering team and our foundry partners (specifically Samsung Foundry), you will own the commercial, technical, and operational lifecycle—from contract execution and PDK/IP alignment to milestone tracking, quality assurance, and tapeout delivery for Q4 2027

Key Responsibilities

1. Foundry Partnership & Tape-out Management

• Vendor & Commercial Strategy: Drive strategic relationships, NDAs, MSAs, and Foundry Access Agreements with a global leading Foundry and its ecosystem partners (IP vendors, EDA tool providers, and OSATs).

• Business & Technical Interface: Act as the primary single point of contact for the Foundry’s Customer Engineering (CE) and business development teams. Lead regular business/technical reviews.

• Capacity & Shuttle Planning: Evaluate MPW runs vs. dedicated full-mask schedules to optimize cost, lead times, and risk profile.

2. ASIC Technical Program Management (TPM)

• Tapeout Lifecycle Ownership: Build, manage, and drive the detailed multi-phase schedule from RTL freeze, synthesis, and P&R to final DRC/LVS sign-off and GDSII submission.

• Cross-Functional Coordination: Align internal design teams (RTL, Architecture, DV, Physical Design) with external foundry support teams to address technical blockers proactively.

• Risk Management: Establish contingency strategies for schedule deviations, design modifications, or IP integration delays to ensure the 2027 tapeout deadline is met.

3. Quality Assurance (QA) & Reliability

• Qualification Roadmaps: Establish silicon validation, ESD, and Latch-up testing criteria in alignment with foundry guidelines.

• Silicon Production Monitoring: Oversee process monitor data, Wafer Acceptance Testing (WAT), yield metrics, and defect density tracking during silicon fabrication.

• Packaging & Bring-up Coordination: Partner with OSAT vendors to manage package substrate development, assembly, and post-silicon bring-up readiness.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Experience: 8+ years in the semiconductor industry, with at least 3~4+ years directly in Foundry Relationship Management, ASIC Technical Program Management, or Physical Design Implementation.

• Advanced Node Expertise: Proven hands-on track record of delivering tapeouts in sub-8nm advanced process nodes. Direct experience with Samsung Foundry ecosystems and tapeout flows is strongly preferred.

• Technical Depth: Solid understanding of PDKs, design rules, third-party IP licensing (PCIe, CXL, LPDDR, SerDes, etc.), and EDA sign-off flows (DRC/LVS/STA).

• Communication & Leadership: Strong negotiation skills and fluency in both English and Korean to communicate effectively with internal leadership and external foundry stakeholders.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Normal Computing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

Accessibility Accommodations

Normal Computing is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please let us know at [e-mail].

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